Apparatus for the chemical treatment of water.



No. 886,068. PATENTED APR 28, 1908. A. POTTER.

APPARATUS FOR THE CHEMICAL TREATMENT OF WATER.

' APPLICATION FILED JAN.14,1907.

8 SHEETSSHBET l.

I annuals:

v @HoznugS PATENTED APR. 28, 1908.

A. POTTER. APPARATUS FOR THE CHEMICAL TREATMENT OF WATER,

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14, 1907.

auvcufez alh nuu uf -3 SHEBTSSEEBT 2 No. 886,068. y 'PATENTED APR. 28, 1908.

' A. POTTER.

APPARATUS FOR THE CHEMICAL TREATMENT OF WATER.

' APPLICATION FILED JAN.14,1$07.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

nbgwdoz ALEXANDER POTTER, OF NEW YORK, "Y. 3 v

. APPARAT'ETSFOR THE CHEMICAL TREATMENT OF-WATER. 5 i i speeifieatioaer Letters Patent? reten s'aurprn'as,1e08,

Application filed January 14, 1907. Serial No. 352,280.

To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER POTTER, a citizenoi the United; States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State 'ofNew-York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for the Qhemical Treatment of WVater; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art 'to which it appertains to make and use the Thepresent invention relates to an im proved device for the treatment of water or other liquids with chemicals for the soften-i j mg of the same or for other useful purposes.

The object of the invention is to provide -novel.means whereby the chemicals can be thoroughly and at the same time economically mixed with large quantities of liquid by an economical distribution of structural material, and whereby great erfection of treatment: and through centra ization, great ease 1 of operation are attained.

- To'this end the plant comprising the present invention consists essentially of a plurality'of basins wherein a portion of the'total' I in'the above mentioned basins,- and a settling basin, orbasins, surrounding the circulation *channels.

. With these and other o j in View the invention comprises certain other novel con- 1 =stru'ctions," combinations and-arrangements of parts,as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

I In'the drawings ;.Figure 1 isa top plan viewofmy improved plant as applied to the -chemicaltreatment1of water, the superstruc ture "being removed and portions being 'broken' away to -more clearly illustrate the 'invention.- Fig. 2 is a vertical, sectional view through the plant. Figr3 is a to "plan 'm'a-tic top plan .view of the'lime and soda view of the weir box. Fig. '4 is an en arged \longitudinal,sectional view through a ortion of the :circulationchamber or -ba ed mixing tank." Fig .'=,5 is an enlarged view' showing the construction of the under drains in the outer chamber. Figwfi is a'diagramtanks with means for discharging material therefrom to the saturators. I Thenumerals 1 and 2 designate two concentric walls, the inner wall 1 defining a well 3. These two concentric walls 1 and Zare connected by a series of radial walls 4, prefer ably four in number, forming the sector shaped basins 5, which, in the-present instance, are in the form of aquadrantr; Surrounding the outer wall 2.is a circulation or bafiied mixing chamber Gdesigned to receive the overflow from the basins 5 and inclosed by a wall Twhich is spaced-front, the wall 2. This circulation or mixing chamber may be an apartment ofan approvedcharacter, and performs the-function of thoroughly mixing the overflowfrom the se ct:0r-- shaped basins, and the remainderofthe water so ply which, as will behereinafter more fii y described, does not passthrough the said basins. Positioned over the basins 5 isasuperstructure 8 of a suitable nature which preferably forms a housing and ,isdesigned to support the elevated tanks 9iand 10 containing chemicals with which itis.desired to treat the water. Under some conditionsitgmay be desirable, as in thepresent instance, that these tanks 9 and 10 simply constitutesectorshaped portions of a'large tankwhichimay be circular in'outline or have any suitableshape.

In the present instance four of'these tanks are shown, three of the tanks being designed to contain a mixture of lime and water, and

the other tank a solutionof carbonatelof soda. The delivery of the lime'mixture into the various basins 5 is brought ab out by means of the pipes 11-. The pipes '11 are arranged in any approved manner so", that .;-either of.

said p1 es may receive ,jchemical solution 1 from eit er or all 'of the lime tanks Q andthat either or all of said pi es 1;-1. may,,-be closed-jto prevent the flow of c ien ica l jsol u tion therethrough. Provision is also made tqr .closing the connection between either or -all: of the lime tanks 9 .to and with the ipes jll. In .Fig. 6-is showndiagraminatica y means for regulating-the flow as above describedwherein a pipe is disposed beneath, the tanks,9 and curved to conform substantially with the pe vri-phery. of said tanks" Pipes-,9? lead from saidetank-s 9 .d'ownwardlyi-and connect with the curved pipe 9 a and flowg-oi liquid'through 't-hesaid. pipes 9 is controlled, by meansajof ducting fluid material from the tanks 9 to the basins 5 may beemployed, it will be seen that the employment of the device herein diaammatically shown, will permit the introuction of fluid material from either or all of the tanks 9 to the curved pipe 9, and that such fluid material may be conducted from the said pipe 9 through either or all of the vertical pi es 11 into either or all of the basins 5, an such flow controlled by means of the valves 11; The mixture from the soda tank 10- is first led into a reservoir 63 from which it is pumped by any suitable means into the soda regulating box 64, such pumpin means being shown conventionally at 65.'

roin the regulating box 64 the soda mixture is delivered in the required quantities to the circulation chamber 6 through the pipe 66, the'excess in said box 64 over the required amount flowing back into the reser:

- voir 63 through-the pipe 67. The amount of soda discharged into the circulation chamber 6 may be automatically regulated by the hei ht oft-he water in .the Weir box 12, hereina ter described and by any suitable form of apparatus such as that disclosed in the pat out to Sutro No. 765,259. ture 8 also incloses the weir box 12, above referred to,- communicating centrally direct y with any suitable source of water supply such as indicated by the water main 13. This weir box 12 comprises the body portii n 14 surrounded by an annular trough 15 receiving the overflow from the body portion 14. Partitions 16 set a portion of the annular trou h 15 adapted to receive any predetermined percentage of the total quantity of the water passing through the weir. Leading downwardlyinto each of the sector basins 5 is a down-take 18, the upper ortions of which are in communication sit a pipe 18* communicating with the opening 1n the bottom. of the compartment 17 of the weir box. The i e718? is rcvided with valves 18 by who the flow rom the compartment 17 to the several sector-shaped be sins 5 may be controlled so that ii 1nd maybe conducted from the said compartment 17 into any or all of' the said sector-shaped basins 5, whereby as many of said basins as may be found expedient may be employed in the battery, whlle the remaining basins are out of commission and may be cleansed or other Wise used as found desirable.

The bottoms 20 of the sector-shaped basins 5 have a curved formation with a depression at approximately the central portion, the above -mentioned down takes 18 are rovided at their lower ends with inverted unnel-shafied. members 19 positioned over the The superstrucdepressed. portions I of the bottoms of the" tanks. These funnel shaped members 19 are supported in position by means of the transverse rods or beams 21. passing through the funnel-shaped members and engaging with the bottom of the basins. normal position a space remains between the outer edges of the inverted funnel-shaped members 19 and the bottoms of the basins, to permit the flow of the water therethrough with force and agitation and insure amixing of the chemicals and prevent any clogging of the'spaces by the deposition-- of sediment Under drains 22 are provided for each of the basins 5, the said under drains bein designed to discharge through pipes 22 and 22' into the central Well 3. It will be readily apparent that the solution or mixture entering the basins v5 through the chemical supply pi es 11 will be heavier than thewater and W1 I tend to settle to the bottom of the basins.

Owing to this. fact a ortion of the mixture will pass out throng 1 the under drains 22 into the central. well 3' from which. it is pumped by any suitable mechanism as the pump 68 and discharged as by the pipes 69 into the basin or basins not ordinarily receiving a direct supply of the chemical mixture fromthe elevated tanks 9. Owing to this feature of the invention all waste of the chemicals is prevented and an economical working of the plant obtained. This will be more readily understood when it is explrained that the water may flow into and t ough one or more of-the basins, not ordinarily supplied. directly with fresh chemicals, and therein treated with the partially exhausted chemicals and then passes from the said basin or basins to the basins which are supplied directly with fresh chemicals. Valves 1 8 are provided b which the direct inflow of water to any of t 1e downtakes 18 maybe shut off.

E y this arrangement, shutting off the direct inflow of water to and permitting it to stand in a given basin, it is possible to thoroughly exhaustthechemical 1n the said basin while providing means whereby any lack of saturation of the water passing therethrough is made good in the next basin or basins.-

The water from the basin in which it is last treated overflows into an annular trough 25 carried by the baflles of the circulation or mixing chamber 6 through a plurality of weirs 5. vided whereby the passage of water and A plurality of gates 27 are pro- 7 chemicals from the conduit 25 to the circu-- lation chamber 6 iscontrolled. This circu- 70 When 1n seems upwardly fro m the above mentioned ribs 28 and t h i ape; ed e bi e wha 1m:

Q; than'the' time a iwhich are located; over alternate ribs and betweenthe ases-s "and the baflles 31 and will be thoroughly mixed extend to a greater heightthan the baffles Ewing; to this dons tmctidh, it, will be with the chemicals.

The remaining portion of the water passing through the weir box 12 is delivered to the chamber 6 below annular trough 25 by any suitable form of conduit such as indicated at 32. This raw or untreated water is mixed with the lime water from the basin 5 in,the circulation chamber 6, the soda also being added to the water in the circulation chamber 6, where it is thoroughly mixed with the lime treated water.

I From the circulation chamber 6 the water overflows into the outer annular trough or runway 33, which also overhangs the circulation chamber and forms part of the wall 7. Theoverflow of the water into this runway 33 is permitted by opening gates 34, similar to the above mentioned gates 27, and partitions 35 and135 are rovided by means of which the circulation c amber can be divided into independent sections) From the outer trough or runway 33 the water is conveyed to an outer settling chamber 36, through passages 37 formed in the wall 7 and communicatin at their upper ends with the runway 33 and at their lower ends with the lower portion of the chamber 36. This chamber 36 is protected by any suitable covering 38 supported upon the beams or girders 39, and columns 40.

Carried .by the upper portionsof the outer incl'osing wall 41 of the chamber 36 is an overhanging trough 42 adapted to receive the overflow from the chamber 36 from the lower wall 42 defining the.trough 42. The

outflow from this trough 42 is controlled by any suitable means such as the gates 43, and' the final effluent is carried oifby means of the conduit 44 to any desired destination, such a filter. Y

The bottom of the outerchamber 36 is provided with a system of sludge-conduits or under drains for carrying away any sediment which might collect. As will be apparent from Fig. 5, these under drains are constituted by grooves or depressions 45 covered y. slabs. 46., pr v d. w th perf a io through "which the sediment can enter the grooves. In the'presentfconstruction the grooves 45 are shown as discharging into the "dr n Whih are l ate n e t toms of the sector-shaped basins 5, though 'they l could with equal -"prop'1 "iety discharge into a' portion of the centralwell 3.

The drains 45 in the bottom of the settling thae'ream t-wh mr th amo nt fiUS 'ing water required. The zoning of theunbasin are disclosed as arranged in aseriesof concentric annular zones, veach zone disjchargmgmtothe gutter or sewer47. through aseparate outlet, the QbjGCljhDGlHg tolsecure .derdraining,,s stem forms no ,part of I the pr'seafisve'nuon, but it is fully set'for th and described in the co-pending application, filed the 15th day of January,'19G7, by Harry H. Sutro, Serial No. 352,474. g Radial partitions 49 are employed to subdivide the outer chamber 36 into a series of compartments when desired, and the. outer trough 42 carried by the wall 41 is placed in communication with the circulation chamber 6 by means of the low wall aforesaid. Under certain conditions itis found necessary to treat the waterwith a coagulant and for such purpose the system shown and described above for mixing and settling is divided into segments asinto two halves and under such condition the course of the water is as follows: The water passes from the 'saturators 5 through the weirs 5 into the trough 25, from which it overflows into' the bafile run-way 6. After passing about the run-way 6 over and-under the baflles, .as

above described, it is discharged through the gate 34 which is opened into the segmental trough 33, thence through'the weirs ,37 into the bottom of the settling tank 36, 7

From the settling tank 36 the water overflows the low wall 42- intothe trough 42 and flows therein about said trough to the fiume 50. The gate 62 being opened and the gate '62 closed the water flows through the fiume 50'and to thetrough 25 upon the left hand side of the ap aratus as shown in Fig. 1, it

beingjassum'e that the right hand side has been employed for treating with lime and soda. The gate 34 upon. the'lefthand side of the ap aratus is swung 'dia onally across the trough 25 to direct the ow from the fiume 50 to the baffle run-way-fi, the gates 53 and 35 remainin closed and the gate 51 being opened. rom the baffle run-way 6 the water is dischar ed thr ough the gate 34 into the outer troug 33 and thencethrough I the weirs 37 into" the settling tank 36', thence over the lower wall 42 into the trough'f42, and by the manipulation of the gate 43'is discharged into the dischar pipe .44." Particular attention is invited to the j'specific form and arrangement of (sector shaped basins 5 surrounded by the annular runwa'ys and c rculat on chambers, since owing to -this arrangement a very compact and effect What I claim 1. In an a paratus'for the chemical treatment of liquids, the combination of apluraL .pa ratively large. quantities and mixed with jiahy'deslred'chemrcal reagent;

'and baffies arranged ity of basins, means for supplying a chemical to a portion of the basins, means for withdrawmg the surplus from these basins and delivering it to the remaining basins, and a trough receiving the discharge from all of the basins. I

2. In an apparatus for the chemical treatment of liquids, the combination of a plurality of basins, means for supplying a chemical to a portion of the basins, means for withdrawing the surplus from these basins and delivering it to the remaining basins, and a trough receiving the discharge from all of the basins, the said trough discharging into a circulation chamber.

3. In an apparatus for the chemical treatment of liquids, the combination of a basin, means for supplying a chemical to the basin, a trough receiving the discharge from the basin, and a circulation apartment into which the trou h discharges. y

4-, In an apparatus for the chemical treatment of liquids, the combination of a plurality of basins, means for supplying a chemical to the basins, a common trough receiving the discharge from the basins, a circulation apartment intowhich the trough discharges,

in. the circulation apartment.

5. In an apparatus for the chemical treatment of liquids, the combination of a basin, means for supplying a chemical to the basin, a trough receiving the discharge from the ba sin, a circulation apartment into which the trough discharges, and a second trough receiving the discharge from the circulation apartment.

6. In an apparatus for the chemical treatment of liquids, the combination of a basin,

means for supplying a chemical to the basin, a trough receiving the discharge from the basin, a circulation apartment into which the trou h discharges, and a second trough receiving the discharge from the circulation apart ment and delivering into an outer chamber.

7. In an apparatus for the chemical treatment of liquids, the combination of a basin, a source of liquid supply, a circulation apartment, means for supplying a chemical to the basin, and means for dividing the liquid supply and delivering a portion to the basin, and a portion to the circulation apartment receiving the discharge rom the basins 8. In an apparatus for the chemical treat-v ment of liquids, the combination of a plurality of segmental basins inclosing a central Well, means for sup lying a chemical to the basins, and means or withdrawing the surplus ofthe chemical from the basins into the central well.

9. In an apparatus for the chemical. treatment of liquids, the combination of a plurality of segmental ba'sins inclosing a central Well,.means for supplying a chemical to a portion of the basins, means for withdrawing the ing from the central well into the remaining basins.

10. Inan apparatus for the chemical treatment of liquids, the combination of a plurality of basins inclosing a central Well,

means for supplying a chemical to a portion of the basins, means for withdrawing the surplus of the chemical from these basins, and

delivering it into the central well, means for discharging from the central well into the remaining basins, and means for mixing the effluent.

1],. In an apparatus for the chemical treatment of liquids, the combination of a basin, an apartment receiving the discharge from the basin, means for su plying a chemical to the basin, a-source of liquid supply, a weir receiving the liquid'su ply and dividing the same, and means for de 'vering a portion of the liquid supply into the basin, and a portion'into the chamber.

12. In an apparatus for the chemical treatment of liquids, the combination of a basin, a compartment receiving the discharge from the basin, means for supplying a chem ical to the basin, a source of liquid supply, a box Weir receiving the liquid supply, partitions dividing the trough of the box weir into sections means for delivering the overflow into one of the sections to the basin, and means for deliveringthe overflow into the opposite section into the compartment.

13. In an apparatus for" the chemical treatment of liquids", the combination of a plurality of basins, means for supplying a chemical to the basins, and circulating and mixing means surrounding the basins and receiving the discharge ther from.

14. In an apparatus for the chemical treatment of liquids, the combination of a basin, means for supplying a chemical to the the discharge from'the basin, walls inclosing 'a chamber receiving the discharge from the circulation compartment, and av discharge trough receiving the flow from the chamber.

15. In an apparatus ,for the chemical treatment of liquids, the combination of a basin, means for supplying a chemical to the basin, a circulation compartment receiving the discharge from the basin, Walls inclosing a chamber receiving the discharge from the circulation compartment, means for removing from the chamber any sediment deposited therein, and means for carrying away the effluent from the said. compartment.

16. In an apparatus for the ciiemical treatment of liquids, the combination of concentric walls, the inner wall inclosing a well, partitions dividing .the s ace between the concentric walls into a p urality of basins, means for supplying a chemical to a portion of the basins,'means for draining from theseseaoes basins into the central well, and means for discharging from the central well into the remainder of the basins.

17. In an apparatus for the chemical treatment of liquids, the combination of an inner wall inclosing a well, a wall surrounding the inner wall, partitions subdividing the space between the walls into a plurality of basins, an outer wall surrounding the secondmentioned wall, and inclosing a circulationcompartment between the two, means for i draining from a portion of the basins into the central Well, and means for discharging from the central well into the remainder of the basins, the circulation compartment receive ing the discharge from'all of the basins.

18. In an apparatus for the chemical @treatment of liquids, the combination of a wall inclosin a central well, awall inclosing the said wa l, partitions sub-dividing the space between the two walls into a plurality of basins, a wall surrounding the secondmentioned wall and defining a circulation chamber between the two, and anouter wall surrounding the last-mentioned wall and defining a' settling chamber between the two,

the said basins discharging into the circulation chamber, and the circulation chamber into the settling chamber.

19. In an apparatus for the chemical treatment of liquids, the combination of an 'inclosing wall, partitions dividing the space within the wall into a plurality of basins, and a trough carried by the wall and receiving the discharge from the basins, and an overhanging annular trough carried by the wall and receiving the discharge from all of the I basins.

In an apparatus for the chemical '40 treatment of liquids, the combination of a basin, walls inclosing a circulation compartment, the said walls upon opposite sides of the compartment supporting troughs, one of the troughs receiving the discharge from the v basins, and delivering it into a circulation compartment while the opposite trou 11 re ceives the discharge from the circu ation compartment.

21. In an apparatus for the chemical treatment of liquids, the combination of a basin, means for supplying a chemical to the basin, a circulation: compartment divided into sections, the overflow ifrom the basin passing into one of the sections, means for delivering the liquid from the said section into the opposite section, and means for,

treating the liquid with a second chemical during the delivery.

22. In apparatus for treating li uids with chemicals, the combination of a p urality of settling apartments which inclose a mixing channel, which. in turn incloses a plurality of chemical basins and a well.

23. In apparatus for treating li uids with chemicals, the combination of a p urality of settling apartments, whose combined outer and inner sides, respectively, constitute circles and which inclose a mixing channel,

which in-turn incloses a plurality of chemchemicals, the combination of a plurality ofsettling apartments, whose combined outer and inner sides, respectively, constitute circles and which inclose an annular mixing channeLwhich in turn incloses a plurality of chemical basins and a circular well.

In testimony whereof, I afl ix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDER OTTER. Witnesses H. T. DANGERFIELD, T. L. FOUNTAIN.

j apparatus for treating liquids with 

